From what I have read, it is the sponsor who must ultimately pay the fine, usually. (Or if not, under what circumstances is the "visitor" required to pay the fine?) The usual practice, as I understand it, is that the sponsor may withhold money to pay for the fine, but the sponsor still ultimately is responsible for the fine.

Would the same rule apply about washing a passport if an overstay happened on a visit visa?

Please stay on topic. We all know what the visit visa is de jure and how it is used de facto. Consider this an academic discussion of a practical reality of teaching here that preserves a human right to leave this place when we have the need.

From what I have read, it is the sponsor who must ultimately pay the fine, usually. (Or if not, under what circumstances is the "visitor" required to pay the fine?) The usual practice, as I understand it, is that the sponsor may withhold money to pay for the fine, but the sponsor still ultimately is responsible for the fine.

Would the same rule apply about washing a passport if an overstay happened on a visit visa?

Please stay on topic. We all know what the visit visa is de jure and how it is used de facto. Consider this an academic discussion of a practical reality of teaching here that preserves a human right to leave this place when we have the need.

wash passport? dirty same? Then make cleen cleen. Abdullah say no prob for Capt'n at he have nother passport. get nother passport, good to you!

Confusion from the difference between the Western calendar and the local lunar calendar has caused people to overstay these visas. I have read of fines being issued for this offense, but never people getting jailed. Perhaps if the overstay is inadvertent the local authorities are more forgiving?

I don't think they send people to India for this problem, or Oman for that matter.

It is so flattering that you want to read my biography, but there are many chapters yet to write.

scot47 wrote:

A good chance to see the inside of an Arabian chowki. This could provide excellent material for your biography, "Buggered in Buraimi Nick".

Yes, it is not my "illegal" agenda which is at issue here, but that of the employers who use this visa. Because the usage of such visas is common and accepted by Saudi authorities, it is, therefore, worthy of discussion for the many who are here with such visas and may have problems.

Anacita wrote:

If it is truly illegal to work on a work-visit visa, why do so many people do it successfully?

When I was in Riyadh recently, the supervisor of the PYP at KSU stated emphatically in a meeting of several teachers (both old and new) that it is entirely legal to teach in the PYP at KSU for up to one year on a work-visit visa and, she added, that if anyone tells you differently, they're wrong.

I do not have a dog in this race, as it were, since I'm not working in Saudi.
But I do wonder why companies such as ICEAT, SBC, AETG, etc bring many teachers into Riyadh on work-visit visas and pay them for teaching at KSU and PNU, for example, if it is illegal.
In other words, why are the companies allowed to hire the teachers, fly the teachers to Saudi, house them, transport them to campus, take them shopping, have them work in the PYPs? Why are the companies allowed to employ teachers on work-visit visas if it's illegal for them to do it?
Why does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issue the work-visit visas if it's illegal for the teachers to work on them?

In the EU, there are some employers who will hire teachers from outside the EU who do not have working visas, but who come over as tourists. It's illegal on both sides, employer and employee.

However, it's the illegal worker who bears by far the greater risk of being caught and facing penalties.

This is why I have spent time and energy trying to tell people about the risks and to encourage them to think twice and three times before coming over knowing that they will be working illegally.

Seems to me that it's the same in the ME. Sure, dodgy employers will take advantage of easier, faster, probably cheaper illegal workers, but ultimately, it's the employee taking the biggest risk.

People should really be aware of the risks; there are far fewer protections for illegal expat workers than for legal citizens (even those engaged in dodgy business practices) in any country - it's just a given.

Here's one fellow's blog info and personal experiences along with other links regarding KSA and various Saudi visas...not much new information mind you...just more personal horror stories. Maybe helpful...maybe not?
http://leanman.hubpages.com/hub/Saudi-Arabia-Visa